The Nature of Evil
by Emiliana Keladry
Summary: Lieutenant Pike knew it would be a mission he'd never forget. He didn't expect to find the son of a legend, James T. Kirk, sick and abused in the rubble. Tarsus IV. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

**The Nature of Evil**

_Lieutenant Pike knew it would be a mission he'd never forget. He didn't expect to find the son of a legend, James T. Kirk, sick and abused in the rubble. Tarsus IV. No slash._

By Emiliana Keladry

**Author's note:** This will be slight AU, though it will hopefully end in canon. I alluded to writing this story in my other fic, "Little Mishaps" and I'm willing to give it a try! It will be a very dark story, but will focus on the friendship between Pike and Jim as he saves Jim's life. This is a shorter chapter to see if anyone is interested. Please, let me know if you are interested. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Trek and I make no money from this.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Lieutenant Christopher Pike rubbed his forehead as the headache increased. They were still three hours away from their destination. Tarsus IV. The USS Constellation was to be the second to reach the colony and witness the aftermath of Kodos' executions. Most of the survivors had been transported from the surface. Captain O'Mara was to deal with the few remaining from the government while Pike dealt with the search for the remaining survivors since he was second in command. Chris continued to read the information from the first ship, wincing as he read about the gruesome details.

The three hours passed too quickly. Captain O'Mara, an older man with greying hair, stepped out of his office and straightened his uniform. Pike stood and moved to stand next to him.

"Did the admiral have any more information for us, Captain?" Pike asked as the captain took his seat.

"Yes. Scans have indicated there's a small group of survivors hiding in the mountains, but they have been unable to get close." The captain rubbed his chin. "Children. It's a group of kids. Whenever the rescue team gets close, they are fired upon and the kids hide from them. We've been ordered to get the kids to trust us, but our first priority is the governor's home. It has to be searched for any hidden information on Kodos."

Lieutenant Pike shifted as the helmsman addressed them.

"Captain, we are nearing the planet. Would you me to put it on the view screen?"

The captain sighed. "Let's see it."

An image of the planet appeared upon the screen. The helmsman tightened the focus on the colony, showing the tops of the buildings. A few smoldered, having been burnt to the ground and destroyed during the attack when Starfleet arrived. Captain O'Mara stood and moved to stand next to the helmsman. He pointed to a location and magnified it. Three ropes hung from a wooden structure. Dark stains were around the loops as they blew in the breeze. It was ancient and barbaric. Pike doubted they killed many colonists in that way. Most had been shot after Kodos' declaration. The view tightened on another object. A single pole stood in the middle of the courtyard. There was a sign hanging from the top, but they couldn't read it. Remnants of rope were left behind. Someone had been tied there for everyone to see.

"It's his house," O'Mara murmured, looking away from the screen. "Governor Kodos put a gallows in front of his home and kept a victim there." His face paled. "This will be a mission we'll never forget. Put us in orbit, Ensign. Lieutenant Pike, your team lands in one hour. It's our duty to help the survivors. Let's do this."

* * *

Chris let out the breath he'd been holding as his team materialized in the courtyard outside of the former governor's home. A cold wind blew, chilling him as he listened. Other than the wind, there were no sounds of life. He glanced behind him to a small park where two chain swings rustled and moved back and forth.

Pike pulled the zipper of his coat up a little. "Let's head inside," he ordered.

The three others moved closer to the large building. The lieutenant tried not to look at the gallows, but his eyes were drawn to it. The dark stains had to be from blood. The bastard probably didn't measure the rope right and had to slit the throats of his victims to silence them. Pike shivered. As they walked closer to the doors, Chris finally got a good look at the sign hanging on the pole.

"_Conscience doth make cowards of us all_." The words felt bitter on his tongue.

"It's from Hamlet, a Shakespeare play," Ensign Taro said. "Why is it on the sign?"

Pike shrugged. "I don't think we want to know."

They continued forward. The door creaked loudly as they stepped into the mansion. Broken glass crunched beneath their boots. A few yellow flowers were scattered among the glass, alien in both form and location. Something with beauty didn't deserve to be where someone so vile had lived. Pike's foot came down with a crack. He glanced down at the glass beneath his foot. It was part of a picture frame. Two young men stared up at him from the photo, sitting outside of the building and smiling. He wondered if either of them was still alive.

"Our orders are to search his office first and then the rest of the building. Taro and Miller, you're with me. Banner and Hotch, you search the east wing first."

"Yes sir." The two responded.

"Keep in contact with your comms. I don't want any surprises." The lieutenant nodded to both men, dismissing them.

Chris guided the remaining two down the hallway, recalling the location of the governor's office from the report. He let the two from security sweep the room first before he followed them inside. Unlike the front entrance, Kodos' office was still semi neat. Another vase of the yellow flowers sat upon the desk, but the water was gone and the flowers were dried. Loose papers blew around the room. There was a large crack in the window behind his desk, letting the howling wind inside.

"To sit here and decide to kill four thousand people, I can't imagine it." Pike gripped the back of the desk chair, barely controlling the urge to throw it.

"All of those innocent people." Miller stepped toward a painting of a mountain range in the corner. He kicked the edge of the fringed rug with his foot. "How many were kids?"

"Too many."

Chris picked up the coffee cup on the desk. His brow wrinkled as he saw a picture beneath the cup. The edges were partially worn, but it was a young boy. He couldn't have been older than twelve. Blue eyes stared up at him. There was something familiar about him. The boy was sitting on one of the swings he'd seen in the park, but he wasn't smiling. His eyes were focused elsewhere. Pike doubted the boy even knew the picture had been taken. He placed it back on the desk.

"I don't wanna linger here any longer than we have to. Let's get to work."

* * *

_Footsteps._ They were directly above him. There was no point in screaming. They couldn't hear him, and their scanners couldn't detect him or he'd already be free of this hell. James T. Kirk coughed into the cloth gagging him. His lungs burned from the effort as he fought to breathe in again. The fit passed slowly. He rolled onto his back. His hands were tied behind him and pressed into his back. The narrow rope was too tight and he had to move his fingers every so often to regain feeling. It went from his elbows to his hands, twisting around and keeping him from manipulating the material to get free again. Something in his shoulders had torn when Kodos' goon tied him up. Jim rolled back to his side to relieve a bit of the pain.

The boy tried to focus on the trap door outside of his cell, but his vision blurred. His body ached. Jim couldn't remember the last time Kodos had come to see him or anyone else for that matter. A pain went through his empty stomach, causing him to curl up, but the movement jarred his shoulders and a muffled cry of pain escaped his gag.

Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and mingled with the sweat. There was little heat in the room, but he knew a fever was ravaging his body. Jim hoped his kids were okay. As long as he obeyed, Kodos said he'd leave them alone. The words, even if they were a lie, were the only thing that kept him going.

The footsteps continued above him as Jim's stomach rolled and the pounding in his head increased. He knew he was going to lose consciousness soon. His body shook as coughs burst from his chest. Jim laid his cheek against the cold floor and closed his eyes. He didn't have much time left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **I am super excited about the response to the first chapter – thanks to all of you for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting this story. I hope this is to your expectations. This chapter gave me a bit of a struggle for the first half. We'll be seeing more Jim in the next chapter and him getting to interact more with Pike. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Pike sat down at the desk chair and accessed Governor Kodos' computer. The techs had already broken into it. He pulled up the first file and started searching the information as it was downloaded onto a storage device for evidence. Kodos didn't save much to his computer, but it was enough. There was a copy of his speech and several other unnamed folders. The lieutenant opened the first one. It was full of scientific documents regarding the virus that attacked the colony's food.

Ensign Taro moved to examine the bookcase. Several hundreds of paper books lined the east wall, though most were coated in a fine layer of dust. The three worked for over an hour.

"O'Mara to Lieutenant Pike. How's it going?" The captain's voice came through with some static.

"Progress is slow. We've found some documents on Kodos' computer about the virus and other basic reports from the local school, the businesses, and other files from the everyday life of the colonists."

There was a slight pause. "Have you found it?"

Pike sighed. "I'm still looking. There's no sign of the list yet."

Captain O'Mara said something again, but it came jumbled and cut off. Something was interfering with their communications.

"Sir, I didn't catch that. Please repeat it."

"Just – us – posted… check… O'Mara out."

Well, that wasn't helpful; there must have been something in the room. He'd contact the captain in an hour with any progress. Pike ran his fingers through his hair and opened another document, scanning the contents.

"Hey, I found something interesting." Taro opened and closed the book in his hand, stepping closer to Pike. The ensign held the book out to him and pointed at the title. "The quote outside is from Hamlet. There's a copy on the bookshelf, but the book is hollow."

Lieutenant Pike opened it and a small data disk fell into his hands. He turned and stuck it into the computer. A file immediately opened and a list of names appeared. It was the execution list. No one had found a copy yet. It was the rest of the evidence they needed. Pike ran his hands over his face as the list began to scroll. So many names. It had to be Kodos' personal version of the list as some of the names had small footnotes next to them. Pike froze the computer. One of the names was in red.

_James T. Kirk._

No, it couldn't be. There was another file attached to his name and Pike quickly opened it. It was a long document, but the bottom was what he was looking for.

_Subject status changed to recovery, not execution. Once located, restrain and gather information._

There was a chance he was still alive. Pike saved the information to transport to the ship and moved around the room, examining the bookshelf. He didn't recognize most of the titles and a few were in alien languages. He moved toward the painting. Pike's boot caught on the rug and moved it to the side. He brushed it back down.

"Let's continue our search."

The two other men left the room and waited outside the door for Pike. He closed the door behind him, glad to be away from the executioner's office.

* * *

_Why didn't they come save him?_ The footsteps moved away from him and Jim tried to move. The pain increased, causing him to hiss beneath the gag. In return, his lungs contracted and he went into another coughing fit.

There was no way to signal whoever was above him. Jim felt so tired and hungry. He tried to count the days in his head, coming up with at least fifteen days since Kodos had taken him. Jim's eyes were so adjusted to the darkness; he wouldn't be able to see for a while. He wished to have seen his mom one more time, but she was on a deep space mission. She'd probably come home for his funeral.

Someone tripped directly over the door. Jim mentally begged for the person to move the rug and save him. He didn't want to die. The footsteps came again. They were moving away from the door and out of the room.

Jim swallowed the sob in his throat as he heard the door close above him and then silence. He closed his eyes and lay still. Sweat ran between his eyes as he shivered. No one cared if he lived or died anyway.

* * *

Pike spent the rest of the day searching the inside of Governor Kodos' home. Communications had been restored when they left the office, which was odd. By the end of the day, Pike was physically and mentally exhausted. He wanted to take a long, hot shower and forget everything. But he couldn't._ James T. Kirk. _Taro and Miller finished searching the last guest bedroom, finding a pair of boy's worn sneakers. He opened his communicator as it chirped.

"Yes, Captain. We are finishing our sweep and returning to the beam-out spot." Pike took one last look around at the room.

There was a long silence.

"Captain?"

"One of the prisoners felt particularly talkative today. He spoke of a secret chamber within Kodos' office space. He said something was kept there, but he didn't know anything else," the captain said. "I'd like you to check it out."

"We didn't see anything out of place. But we can check again." Pike's mind dwelt on the name as he looked around. "I'll let keep you posted. Pike, out."

Chris hurried back toward the office and threw open the door. He could see the sun setting through the large window. Taro and Miller moved to the bookcase, pulling off the books and throwing them to the floor, looking for one that would open a door to another chamber. Pike stood still for a moment. There was nothing else out of place. The painting. He ran over to the rug, seeing it was still turned up. A dark line was visible. He grabbed the rug, yanking it to the side and revealing a door beneath the material. Taro moved to his side and helped lift the heavy door. As soon as they opened the door, a putrid smell filled their noses.

"What is that?" the ensign asked.

Pike tried not to breathe deeply. "There's someone down there."

He grabbed the sides of the ladder and crawled down. Pike's eyes adjusted to the darkness. Cell bars separated the small space. Taro came down behind him and scanned the area, pulling out a flashlight and shining it into the cell.

"Oh my god, it's a kid."

Pike focused on the small bound figure inside of the cell. The kid's arms were bound tight behind his back in an unnatural position. He watched as his chest barely rose and fell. It was clearly an effort for him just to breathe. The boy rolled to his side, moaning. Blood matted the boy's hair and his skin was incredibly pale. A combination of old and new bruises covered his skin. A dark spot on his left side made Pike wonder how many broken ribs the kid had. The boy was gagged and had a split lip.

The lieutenant pulled out his weapon and melted the lock, kicking the door open as soon as it fell. The lieutenant didn't hesitate to move into the cell as the smell of human waste assaulted him. He hoped it wasn't _him_. The kid's eyelashes fluttered and two blue eyes stared at him. Pike's stomach dropped as he recognized him. It was George's son. Jim tried to move back, but cried out through the gag. His breathing came in painful sounding gasps.

"Don't move. I won't hurt you." Pike put up his hands in surrender. "My name is Lieutenant Christopher Pike. I'm here to help you."

"His vitals are critical," Taro interrupted. "He needs emergency medical attention."

Chris glanced at the other man, seeing his tricorder in hand. Taro's face was tight. He'd have to move the kid to the main level so he could be transported to the medbay. There was no doubt in his mind that Kodos had created this place and they wouldn't be able to transport from there.

"I'm gonna pick you up. We can't help you down here."

The boy shuddered violently. Pike pulled his coat off and draped it over the kid's body to warm him up a little. Jim's eyes closed. He took the precious seconds to grab the boy and lift him off the floor. The boy screamed beneath the gag. Taro let him ascend the ladder first. Pike tried to keep from squeezing too hard, but the boy was out of it and shaking. He could feel the heat from the small body and guessed his fever was quite high. The boy opened his eyes for a moment, but quickly closed them.

"Give me your communicator," the lieutenant ordered.

Miller pulled out his and held it toward his commanding officer.

"This is Pike. We need an emergency beam-out for two! We found a child; he's in critical condition."

"Understood. We are beaming you both directly to the medbay."

Pike touched Jim's face as the transporter moved them to the ship. They materialized in the medbay. Doctor Ravi was a Betazoid, but very patient and good at his job. He was waiting for them. The doctor motioned for Pike to lay him on a biobed.

"Has he been conscious?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, but he can't say anything." Pike moved to stand next to the boy's head. "Doctor, I know who this is. His identity is not to be revealed."

One of the nurses came over to assist the doctor, but the doctor asked her to give them a moment alone.

"Lieutenant –"

"Pike. His name is James T. Kirk."

The Betazoid's eyebrow rose. "Kirk?"

"Yes. It's crucial no one knows who he is. Please."

"Of course. Doctor/patient confidentially keeps his information and condition private, but the captain will need to be informed."

"I'll let him know when he's stable."

Doctor Ravi motioned for the nurse to join them again. Jim's eyes didn't open. Pike listened as the doctor rattled off some information and he slowly untied the gag from around the boy's mouth. As soon as the cloth fell, Jim's eyes snapped open and his body convulsed as he coughed. Spots of blood appeared on his lips. Chris sat him up and held him as he wavered. As soon as he finished, his body went limp and Pike lay him back against the bed. Doctor Ravi grabbed a hypospray and injected it into Jim's neck.

"My name is Doctor Ravi. I'm trying to help you. Can you tell me where it hurts?"

The kid shook his head. He coughed again, moving around on the bed. Pike put a hand on his shoulder to help calm him down, but it only agitated him more.

"Hurts," Jim choked out. "Can't… breathe."

The words escaped his mouth seconds before the alarm went off. The nurse grabbed the oxygen mask and placed it on his mouth. Jim greedily took a breath.

"We need to remove the bindings on his arms so I can treat him," the doctor said. "Would you care to assist me, Lieutenant?"

Chris nodded. "Just tell me what to do."

The Betazoid rolled Jim onto his side. Jim bit his lip to keep from making a sound, but Pike could see the lines of tension on his face.

"His shoulders are torn. I need you to hold his arms while I cut the rope. Then ease him very slowly back onto the bed. His arms will be incredibly tender." Doctor Ravi took the scissors from the nurse. "Ready?"

Pike nodded. The doctor slowly cut the thin rope binding Jim's arms. Jim let out a cry of pain as Chris moved his arms apart. He tried to go slow, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Jim squeezed his eyes tight, but small tears escaped. Pike watched as his face continued to pale. He lay Jim down as the nurse began to run a sonic cleaner over his small body, after removing his soiled clothing and slipping him into scrub pants. Something wasn't right. Pike listened as the boy's breathing changed, becoming more rapid. He opened his mouth to say something as a choking sound came from Jim and the alarm started blaring.

"He's going into anaphylactic shock," Doctor Ravi said. "I need 5 ccs of epinephrine and a tube kit. We need to intubate him."

"Yes, Doctor."

Chris watched, feeling completely helpless as Jim lost consciousness and the doctor administered another hypo. He looked away as a breathing tube was inserted into the kid's throat.

"He's coding!"

One of the nurses gently pushed Pike out of the way. He moved away from the biobed, but couldn't look away as the doctor charged the cardiac stimulator and placed it on the boy's small chest.

"Clear!" Doctor Ravi pressed a button the monitor and Jim's body jolted.

"There's no change."

"Again, clear!"

Three times Jim's body rose off of the biobed. Doctor Ravi pressed his fingers to Jim's wrist as he observed the stats. "He's back. We need to lower his fever. Bring me two cold packs and set them on level two."

The nurse dashed across the room and returned with the packs. She adjusted the temperature and put them beneath his arms. The doctor continued his scans. Pike covered his mouth with his hand as he waited for more information. What the hell had Kodos been doing to him down there? It was clear he'd been mistreated for a while. Jim didn't wake as the nurse covered him with a blanket. Chris had to know what happened; no one deserved such horrible treatment, especially a child who had already suffered so much. Pike instructed the doctor to keep him posted and headed to the Bridge. This wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **Thanks to all of you for your reviews and alerts! I appreciate all of your comments. I really enjoy reading them! You get a little more conscious Jim in this chapter, but he's not himself yet. Also, I am not a medical doctor, so please forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"You can come in, Lieutenant."

Pike stepped into the small ICU room of the medbay. It was the only private location, other than the surgical section. Jim lay silently on the bed. His skin was still incredibly pale. Chris could see the faint outline of a bruise around the boy's right eye, drawing his gaze to the oxygen mask. His arms appeared emaciated and there were crisscrossing lines from the thin rope he'd been bound with. An IV gave his body the nutrients he desperately needed. Pike watched as his face contorted in pain and went still.

"How is he?" Chris stepped close to the bed and crossed his arms over his chest.

The Betazoid frowned. "He's stable at the moment. I am having some trouble treating him. Since you were here, he coded two more times. His body is allergic to almost every medication. Without the patient's medical records, it has become nearly impossible to continue treating him."

"Can I ask what his condition is? I know medical records are private, but… I believe this is a special condition."

Doctor Ravi picked up his regenerator and ran it over Jim's arms to start repairing the muscles. "I agree, Lieutenant."

"You can call me Chris. I'm off duty at the moment."

"Okay, Chris. He is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. I suspect he was bound in that position for over a week. The muscles in his arms are incredibly weak; though I've already repaired the damage to his shoulders he will need quite a bit of physical therapy to restore the muscle tone and movement. I discovered several deep wounds on his thighs, which were partially healed. His left arm had a spiral fracture, which I repaired. Bruises cover approximately forty percent of his body. He also has two broken ribs and a moderate concussion."

"Damn." Pike ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm afraid that's not all. In addition to the other factors, he's suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection. It has settled in his chest. I'm trying to treat it, but not having much luck."

"I'll see if I can get permission to access his medical records for you. Captain O'Mara should be able to access them." He leaned back against the wall. "Will he survive?"

"He's stable for now, but I won't know his full prognosis until I can treat him properly."

Pike sat down in the chair next to the bed and rested his face in his hands. The doctor didn't say anything as he added another bag of fluids and removed the cold packs from under Jim's arms. The boy didn't stir. Chris looked up at Jim, wondering how he was going to tell his mother.

"His physical condition is not the only thing I'm worried about," Dr. Ravi said, interrupting Pike's thoughts.

"What else worries you?"

"His mental condition. He's just a child and he was held in intolerable conditions for quite some time. It's going to be a struggle for him to process everything and move on with his life." The doctor watched as Jim's heartbeat increased a little. "He will not trust us and I suspect he'll be angry."

Pike nodded. "When will he wake up?"

"I had to sedate him so I don't expect him to regain consciousness until late morning." The doctor waited until Pike stood up and walked him to the door. "You should get some rest. I can tell how exhausted you are. There will be time to talk to him later. I can alert you when he regains consciousness if you think it will be beneficial to him."

"I'd appreciate that, Doctor. Good night."

* * *

Something was suffocating him. Jim immediately felt the pain up and down his arms, but at least he could move them again. There was something soft and warm beneath him; he wasn't cold anymore. His eyes quickly opened. Everything was blurry. He blinked to clear the image and didn't recognize anything. Jim tried to lift his hand, hissing in pain when it felt like needles were stabbing him. There was a loud crash as something fell nearby. In a swift movement, Jim sat up and ripped the oxygen mask from his face. His fingers fumbled around until they could pull out the IV. Two voices were heading in his direction now as an alarm came from the biobed.

Jim threw his legs over the side of the bed and his bare feet touched the floor. He fell hard to the floor. The muscles in his legs refused to support him. The door opened and an older man dressed in a medical uniform appeared with a blond nurse behind him. Jim pulled his knees to his chest and scooted against the wall. Warm blood trickled down his hand.

"Stay back!" His throat ached as the words came out and he went into a coughing fit. He gasped, trying to breathe again. The man held up his hands as he took a step closer. "No, stay back!" Jim put a hand on his ribs as he wheezed.

The man's eyes were dark and he realized he was a Betazoid. Jim kept his face tight.

"Who… are you?" Jim asked between coughs.

"My name is Doctor Ravi. I won't hurt you." The doctor knelt down. "This is my head nurse, Amanda. We only want to help you."

"Where am I?"

"You're onboard the USS Constellation. It's a Starfleet vessel, under command of Captain O'Mara." He kept his eyes on Jim as he spoke to the nurse. "Amanda, please wake up Lieutenant Pike and have him come down."

"Yes, Doctor."

Jim felt his stomach churn and he knew he was gonna throw up soon. He swallowed and let his eyes dart around the small private room. His vision went in and out. He refocused on the doctor as he reached up for something on the biobed and tried to move closer. Jim yanked open the drawer beside him, digging from something to use as a weapon to defend himself. His hands closed around a pair of scissors, and he brandished them as his arms trembled.

"Stay away from me!" Jim took a shaky breath and tried to hold his arms up, but they quickly fell to his sides and he pushed himself back against the wall.

"I'm sorry." Doctor Ravi held up his hands. "I was just getting the oxygen mask to give to you. It will help you breathe easier."

The boy shook his head. "No mask."

"Your body is not receiving enough oxygen. That's one reason you're suffering from a headache and vision problems."

Jim blinked, waiting for the room to stop spinning. "I don't like the mask."

"I can exchange it for a nasal cannula, but you'll need to let me place it on your face."

"I'll do it myself. I know how."

Doctor Ravi didn't speak, but nodded. Jim watched him closely as the doctor hooked up the clear tubing and set it on the floor. He knelt down and pushed it toward the boy. His hands fought to grasp it, but ultimately won. Jim let the center piece pinch his nose and he tucked the tube behind his ears, closing the clasp beneath his chin to keep it on. His eyes closed as the oxygen went into his body.

"Is that helping?"

Jim nodded. "It's a little better."

Doctor Ravi moved to another part of the room and returned with a small roll of cloth bandages. He rolled it to the kid. "For your hand, it will stop the bleeding." The man waited as Jim picked it up and wrapped it around his hand. "Would you like to tell me your name?"

"You can call me JT." Jim felt his stomach roll again. "Where are my kids?"

"Your kids?" The doctor frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Did someone rescue them? There are several kids who need a doctor. They haven't… had any good food in a while." Jim fought as black spots formed in his vision.

The door to the ICU room slid open, admitting a younger man in his rumpled uniform. He quickly walked over to join them. Jim tried to curl up even smaller. His brown hair was short and messy. There was almost something familiar about him.

"I thought you said he wouldn't wake up until late morning. It's 0400." He rolled his eyes at the doctor before kneeling down and turning his attention to Jim. "Hey kid. My name is Lieutenant Christopher Pike. I pulled you out of there, do you remember?"

Jim shook his head, fighting to stay awake as he coughed again. "Where are my kids?"

Pike frowned. "What kids?"

"I saved them… I hid them so he couldn't kill them."

The other man rubbed his chin with his hand and gave a soft smile. "We can't get to them. They won't let us approach without firing at us."

Jim tried to push up and moaned. "I have – have to talk to them. I can get them to listen."

"Lieutenant, his temperature is rising. We need to move him," Doctor Ravi interrupted.

The kid shifted uncomfortably. "I'm gonna be sick."

Pike grabbed an emesis basin from the counter and shoved it under the boy's chin as he threw up. He stayed beside him. Jim finished and his head leaned back against the wall. The adrenaline rush had faded and he didn't have any energy left.

"Can I move you onto the bed? You're pretty sick, kid. The doctor needs to make sure you're okay."

Jim didn't have any energy left to answer, so he simply nodded. The man gently put his arms beneath him and lifted him up. Jim cried out in pain as the movements strained his arms. His muscles cramped up in protest. Pike lay Jim down as the nurse brought a cooling blanket over. He could feel the boy's fever though his clothes. The lieutenant took a step back to give them space to work. Jim kept his eyes on Pike as the doctor administered a hypo.

"Help them. Please," Jim whispered as the darkness crept in again.

The frown on Pike's face was the last thing he saw.

* * *

Pike rested his hands against the side of the biobed. "What happened, Doctor?"

"Apparently the dosage of sedative I gave him wasn't enough. He woke up, confused and his adrenalin kicked in. He actually threatened me with a pair of scissors for a minute." The doctor continued running his scans and instructed the nurse to insert a new IV into Jim's opposite hand.

He shook his head. "He's a tough kid. Damn, I only got three hours of sleep. He should be with his mother. I found her though. She's on a deep space mission, probably didn't even know what was happening with the colony."

"Our patient might be able to answer your question when he wakes again." Doctor Ravi gently ushered him out of the private room and into his office across the main part of the medbay. He pushed him down into the extra chair. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, thank you." Pike waited in silence as the doctor poured him a cup and handed him the warm mug. He noted it was the real stuff, not the replicated stuff the rest of the crew drank. It was probably a good thing the medical staff was properly caffeinated. "Did your telepathic abilities read anything helpful from him?"

Doctor Ravi took a sip of his own coffee before speaking. "He's terrified, completely. And he doesn't trust we are who we say, which is to be expected. I also sensed quite a bit of anger. His anger runs deep and it will be hard for him to get past. That's about it. The fever and the physical condition of his body made the reading a bit confusing."

"That's more than enough, Doctor. I can't imagine what he saw in the colony or why Kodos specifically kept him down there. Jim will have a lot to tell us. If he can even tell us."

"It will take time. Lots of time. The boy will need quite a bit of healing."

Pike nodded, taking another drink of his coffee and standing up. "Thanks for the coffee. Please inform me if Jim wakes up again. I'd like to limit who interacts with him right now. His identity is to remain classified."

"Of course. I hope you get some rest."

"I wish I was. He gave us some important information and I need to speak to the captain right away. Jim said they are his kids. He might be able to help us rescue the group of children living in the mountains. But he'll need to trust us." Chris sighed and attempted to straighten his uniform. "I have no idea how to make this right, but I won't give up until I do."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed and alerted! A special thanks to my anonymous reviewers, you always have the sweetest comments! I really like how this chapter turned out. Hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Jim lay still as he listened to the sound of his own heartbeat through the monitors. Every part of his body ached. He shifted on the bed, and lifted his arm to press the call button. The door to his room opened a moment later.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Doctor Ravi asked.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Only about two hours. Would you like some water? I can acquire some chicken broth if you are hungry. Your stomach isn't ready for solid food yet."

Jim shook his head. "Just the water. I'm not hungry." The doctor poured a cup of water and stuck in a bendy straw. He sipped the water, but shook his head after a moment. His stomach was too queasy for any more, but at least his mouth was wet. "I wanna talk to Lieutenant Pike." He tried to push himself up and fell back in the bed.

"He's in a meeting with Captain O'Mara, but I can contact him for you."

The kid went into a coughing fit. It didn't stop. The alarm on the bed went off as Doctor Ravi grabbed the oxygen mask and pressed it to Jim's face. He greedily held it tight against his face. The doctor checked his stats and made a note on his PADD.

Jim swallowed and lifted the mask. "I need to talk to him. We have to save my kids."

"Doctor Ravi to Lieutenant Pike."

There was a soft pause. "Pike here. Is there a problem, Doctor?"

"Our guest is awake and he's requesting to see you."

"I'll be right there."

The communication line closed. Doctor Ravi adjusted the height of the bed to ease Jim's breathing and help him sit up a little. Jim continued to breathe with the mask for a few more minutes before pushing it away. Doctor Ravi turned his oxygen level up. Lieutenant Pike entered a few minutes later. He held a large thermos of coffee.

"You didn't sleep long. How are you feeling?"

Jim shrugged. "I'm fine. I want to help you talk to my kids. They do have a communicator, but it's on a low frequency. They will only talk to me."

Pike crossed his arm over his chest. "I'd appreciate it. I really would like to help those children and get them some place safe. There's no need for them to hide anymore. After everything they've gone through, they deserve someone taking care of them."

"I took care of them."

Chris wanted to reach out to comfort the kid, but he knew better than to touch him. "I know you did and I'm sure you did a great job. I'm here to help you now, Jim."

The boy froze and his eyes quickly dropped to the blanket. Pike quickly realized his mistake and silently asked for Doctor Ravi to give them some privacy. Jim covered his mouth with the corner of his blanket as his lungs tried to rid themselves of the fluid and gunk in his chest. Lieutenant Pike winced at the sound. The boy's shoulders dropped and he could see how exhausted Jim was, even though he'd only been awake for a little while.

"You know my name," Jim murmured.

"Yes."

"Is that why you are helping me? You want to help the son of the legend, George Kirk's poor fatherless bastard."

"No, Jim. And I want you to remember this, I'm helping you because you just went through a horrible experience and it's my job to help everyone I can. Not just because you are George's son."

Jim nodded, blinking at the moisture in his eyes. He looked away from the lieutenant as he spoke. "I don't want special treatment. I just want my kids to be safe."

"I promise they will be okay."

"I don't want anyone to know my name. When we find them, call me JT." Jim coughed again and Pike looked up to see Jim's heartbeat increasing.

"No one other than Doctor Ravi, Captain O'Mara, and I know your name. We can keep it that way."

The medical monitor above Jim beeped softly, bringing the doctor back into the room. He grabbed a cooling blanket and laid it across Jim's legs. The kid pushed it back as sweat rolled down his forehead. Jim weakly shook his head.

"Don't need it. I'm already cold."

"You have a high fever and we need to lower it," Doctor Ravi said, lifting the blanket and covering him again.

Jim shook his head. "Can't you give me something for it?"

"Due to the shock your body experienced from the situation and the medications you're allergic to, your immune system has been compromised. It's best to try a few natural remedies until you're more stable."

"You better hurry up."

"What's the rush?" Dr. Ravi asked, adjusting the flow on the IV drip.

"I have to go get my kids." Jim's eyes tightened and he rubbed his forehead.

The doctor dimmed the lights a little as Jim's eyes fought to stay open.

"Once you contact them, we can safely bring the children to the ship to see you," Pike explained. "It's not a good idea for you to leave the medbay right now."

"I have to go with you or they won't trust you!" He pushed up with his arms and cried out in pain. Dr. Ravi tried to help him, but Jim flinched. "If I don't come with you, they will think you kidnapped me and it's a trap. They have to see me." Jim let out a shaky breath. "Please."

Jim watched as Chris rubbed his stubbly chin and nodded. He knew he was putting the lieutenant in a bad situation, but they were his responsibility. He had to save them.

"I'll talk to the captain and –"

"It has to be today," Jim interrupted. "They won't last much longer. They're already starving."

"Lieutenant, may I speak to you for a moment?" Doctor Ravi said.

Jim watched as the two stepped off to the side. The doctor's face was tight as he spoke quickly to the lieutenant. He pretended he couldn't hear them, but he could hear all of it. It didn't change his mind on what he had to do.

"Lieutenant, I don't think it's a good idea to have our patient leave the medbay. He has a high fever and his body isn't responding to the antibiotics. He refuses to eat because he's nauseated, but he's nauseated because he's eaten nothing. We're in for a struggle."

Pike sighed. "I understand Doctor, but if we don't do something soon… all of those children could die."

* * *

Pike did not have a good feeling about this. Jim walked beside him, moving slowly in the clothing they'd replicated for him. He kept the medical kit with him as Doctor Ravi's request, just in case something happened. Jim wore a medical monitor in case of an emergency and they could beam him back to the medbay. Two security officers walked behind them. Wind snuck into every opening in Chris' coat. Jim paused and Pike could hear the wheezing sound from his lungs. He frowned.

"This should be close enough. Can I have your communicator?" the kid asked.

Pike pulled the communicator out of his pocket and handed it to Jim. He noticed the trembling in his hand, but he quickly pulled away. Jim tinkered with it before lifting it to his face.

"Hey K, this is Troop Leader calling. Can you hear me?"

The group waited in silence. Jim shivered and pulled his arms tighter across his chest.

"K, this is Troop Leader. Are you guys okay?"

Pike waited and his heart skipped a beat when the voice of a small child answered Jim's hails.

"JT, is it really you?"

"Yeah, K, it's me. Is everybody okay?"

There was a soft sniffle. "We're really hungry. They know where we're hiding and we ran out of food. How did you get away? We thought he killed you."

Pike watched as Jim smiled. The conversation seemed to be lifting his spirits, though his face showed the pain he was in.

"Nah, it takes more than that to get me down. It's a long story, but I'm with some people who can help us. They're from Starfleet and they have food. I think we can trust them."

The voice paused for a minute. "Umm… okay, if you say we can trust them. You can come up."

"There are four of us. We'll be up in a few minutes."

Jim closed the communicator and handed it back to Pike. The kid wavered on his feet. Pike put out his arms and steadied Jim as he started to fall to the side.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

The lieutenant watched as Jim nodded and regained his balance. Chris wondered how much longer the analgesic Doctor Ravi had given Jim would last. He needed to rest. He could barely move his arms and breathing was a serious struggle. They shouldn't have let him come.

They moved up the steep side of the mountain, toward a small opening where the children were hidden. Pike let Jim lead the way. He winced when he saw Jim grab a rock and pull himself up. He didn't make a sound, but the pain had to be intense. Pike glanced behind him to see the two men from security close. Jim was first into the cave, but Chris helped him stand up. His eyes widened at the sight. Sixteen children were cuddled beneath a few torn blankets and had dirty, pale faces. The oldest couldn't have been more than nine. The youngest had a pink bow in her blond hair and had to have been around two years old. As soon as the oldest boy spotted Jim, he ran at him. Jim let out a moan when the kid collided with him, hugging him with as much strength as he had left. Chris looked away as tears formed in Jim's eyes.

"Hey Kevin, I'm okay." Jim gave him a smile.

"I didn't think we'd see you again." Pike recognized Kevin's voice as the one from the communicator.

"Me either, but I'm here."

"You look awful," Kevin said, pulling back and getting a better look at Jim.

"I'm fine. How's Tommy?"

Kevin pointed to a small bundle of blankets. Jim stumbled over, almost falling. Pike barely contained the urge to pick up Jim and hold him tight to protect him. He watched as the two boys moved over to the blanket. One of the security officers removed his backpack and took out the two thermoses of chicken broth. The other man helped pass out small bowls and pieces of bread. Pike was shocked to note the kids didn't fight. They waited patiently for their food and ate in silence. They were still terrified of them and it made him feel ill. Pike returned his attention to Jim.

Jim pulled the blanket back, revealing the tousled hair of a six-year-old boy. The little boy stared up at him with a smile on his face. Part of his face was obscured by white gauze. Someone had hurt the little boy. Pike couldn't look away.

"Hey Tommy, how are you feeling?" Jim touched his forehead.

"It hurts, but I'm okay," the boy answered.

"You have a fever. There's a doctor on the ship who can help you feel better. He fixed me up." Jim turned to face Pike. "We have to get him back to the ship."

Kevin helped Tommy stand and guided him over to the other kids to get him something to eat. There was little ventilation in the cave and it was damp. Pike observed one of the kids comforting another. They'd been through hell. Jim talked quietly with Kevin. Chris noticed Jim's movements were stiff and intentional. The analgesic was wearing off. His ribs contracted as he coughed into his hand. Kevin frowned.

"Are you okay, JT?"

Jim shook his head. He wasn't catching his breath. Pike moved a step closer, but Jim put up his hand as the coughing finally ceased. He straightened and took a shallow breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied with ease.

"You sound awful."

Jim brushed it off. The kids had finished eating and were waiting quietly. "Lieutenant Pike is going help all of you back to the ship. We're safe there. They can give us food and beds. Some of you desperately need a bath. But it's gonna be okay."

"What's gonna happen to us?" a little girl no older than five asked.

"You will all be taken care of us and safely taken back to Earth. Your families will be contacted. No one is going to hurt you again," Pike answered.

The kids whispered to each other. Chris glanced over at Jim and his heart dropped into his stomach. Jim's hand was on his ribs as he wheezed. His face was incredibly pale. Coughs suddenly erupted from his mouth and he could see the red spots on Jim's lips. Pike moved quickly and barely managed to catch Jim as he fell. He was still breathing, but barely.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **Again, thanks to everyone for reviewing! I'm giving you an early update as a special treat. Also, I wish to apologize. I realized today that I made a mistake while I was doing some research. In the original timeline, Tommy was older than Kevin, but in this story I have it the opposite way. Also, Kevin was only supposed to be 4-years-old when Kirk saved him, but this is slight AU. So hopefully you can forgive me!

The small passage is borrowed from "Dragon Gets By" by Dav Pilkey. It was one of my favorite children's books.

Enjoy the new chapter! I really, really loved Pike's interactions in this one. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Pike to Transporter Room One, we have twenty to beam up." Chris glanced at Jim's pale face as a tiny bit of oxygen passed his parted lips. "Please transport myself and JT directly to the medbay."

"Copy that. Give us one moment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Pike felt the transporter take them and deposit them in the medbay. He could never really get used to the feeling of having his molecules taken apart and put back together. Doctor Ravi was already in the ICU room. The head nurse, Amanda, helped him reattach Jim to the machines and place an oxygen mask on his face. Jim didn't even wince when the IV was inserted.

"Amanda, I need 2 ccs of tri-ox and a deep tissue scan of his lungs." Doctor Ravi looked up at the stats on the screen.

Pike took a step back and let them work. He watched as Doctor Ravi listened to Jim's lungs with a frown on his face.

"Doctor, his blood pressure is dropping," the nurse said, handing him a hypospray.

"He's not getting enough oxygen. We need to intubate him."

Pike looked away as the doctor inserted the plastic tubing and connected it to the machine. He felt sick at the sight and wanted to hit something. The doctor finished stabilizing Jim. He ushered Chris back into the main part of the medbay. Pike opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as the doors to the medbay opened and the group of rescued children was escorted in. Kevin stepped forward first.

"Where's JT?" he asked, looking around.

"He's getting the medical help he needs." Chris knelt in front of the boy. "JT is pretty sick, but I promise he's gonna be okay. Doctor Ravi would like to give all of you a check-up to make sure you are healthy. He won't make you do anything you aren't comfortable with."

"I wanna see JT first. Then you can do the check-ups."

Tommy took a step closer to Kevin and grabbed his hand. This close, Pike could actually smell in the infection on the little boy's face. He swallowed and stood up.

"How about we let Doctor Ravi begin his examinations while I take you to see JT? We both want the little ones to feel better." Pike motioned to the little toddler. "What's her name?"

"Maya. Her parents were killed."

Pike felt his stomach roll, but he didn't let his expression change. "Let Doctor Ravi help Maya and the others. I'll take you to JT."

Kevin turned and nodded to the others. He walked Tommy over to Doctor Ravi. There was no hesitation in his movements as he put Tommy's hand in the Betazoid's. Kevin walked back over to him. Pike couldn't help but smile as the boy grabbed his hand and motioned for him to guide him. Jim had done a great job protecting the children. Unlike Jim, they still had enough trust to give to the Starfleet members. Jim let himself be broken to protect the others and give them a chance. He had even more respect for what Jim went through.

Chris led Kevin into the small ICU room. He paused in the doorway. The sight of Jim in such a vulnerable position had to be frightening. He squeezed Kevin's hand.

"What's wrong with him?" the boy asked.

"He has an infection in his lungs that is making it hard to breathe. The machine is helping him while he gets better." Pike glanced down at Kevin's face and saw him nod. "You can get a little closer if you want."

"No." Kevin vehemently shook his head. "I don't wanna remember JT like this. You can take me back to the kids."

"Okay. That's okay."

Pike took Kevin back out into the main part of the medbay and let one of the nurses guide him over to a biobed to be examined. Doctor Ravi was examining Tommy's wounds. Chris couldn't look at his wounds. He needed a little space. Captain O'Mara had suggested making one of the cargo bays into a location for the children to stay. A few crewmen were adding beds and other personal touches. The captain doubted they'd want to be separated into several rooms. Pike excused himself to go check on the progress.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, Chris paused and leaned up against the bulkhead. He took three deep breaths. The images wouldn't leave his mind, but he had to keep going. Pike headed to the cargo bay to check on the status of the beds. He stepped inside and sighed. The beds were lined up like a prison. Two crewmen were finished up the final touches.

"Do you mind if I move things around a little?" Pike stared at the white blankets and shook his head.

"Of course not, Lieutenant. Is there anything we help with?" the crewman asked.

"No. You can head to back to your stations. I'll finish up."

The man nodded. "Thank you, sir. Have a good afternoon."

Pike rolled up the sleeves of his uniform. The kids deserved a nice place to sleep, a place that felt a little more like home.

* * *

Pike completed the finishing touches to the kid's area. He'd rearranged the beds, so they were grouped together in groups of four beds. He changed the bedding to bright yellow, blue, and pink comforters, and replicated different stuffed animals for the beds. Captain O'Mara had given him permission to make the space as comfortable as he could. There was also a section of the cargo bay with toys: dolls, blocks, balls, and books. It wasn't a lot, but it was a place for them to be kids again.

Chris headed to the medbay to escort the children. He opened the door to find controlled chaos. The children were running around in white pajamas and nightgowns. Two girls yelled "tag" and squealed in excitement. One of the nurses held little Maya as she smiled around the thumb in her mouth. Tommy sat up on a biobed with clean gauze on his face. It was a complete change from what he'd seen hours before.

"Chris!" Kevin exclaimed, running toward him. "We all got to take a bath."

"You definitely smell better," he teased, getting down to the kid's level. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, but the doctor says Tommy has to stay here for a little while."

"It will make him better." Chris gave him a warm smile. "I have a surprise for all of you."

"What is it?" Kevin couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

"You'll have to wait and find out. Let me talk to the doctor first."

Tommy needed to stay in the medbay overnight for dermal regeneration, but the rest of the kids were healthy, other than they were malnourished. Doctor Ravi came up with a nutrition plan for each child. Jim was still unconscious. Pike planned on going to see him once he got the kids settled.

Two of the nurses helped him round up the kids to take to the cargo bay. They'd worked out a schedule so at least two nurses were with the children at all times to watch out for them. Pike stopped the group outside of the cargo bay and encouraged all them to cover their eyes. He laughed as three of the littlest ones tried to peek. Chris opened the door and helped the kids walk forward.

"Open your eyes," he said.

As soon as he spoke, they all uncovered their eyes and looked at their temporary place. The kids called out to each other as they ran for the beds and squealed as they found the stuffed animals! After a few minutes, each kid had picked an animal and a bed. Little Maya held a stuffed purple elephant as she snuggled against the nurse, sitting on her bed. It took all three adults to get the kids tucked into their beds.

"Will you read us a story?" a small boy asked.

"Yeah, Chris, can you read us a story?" Kevin repeated.

All of the little voices began to beg and he sighed, grabbing a book from the pile and sat down in on the boy's bed. The kid sat up and grabbed his arm, leaning over so he could see the pictures of the blue dragon.

"Dragon Gets By. _One warm, sunny morning Dragon woke up and yawned. He was very groggy… And whenever Dragon woke up groggy, he did everything wrong. First he read an egg and fried the morning newspaper_."

The laughter of the children filled his ears and Chris blinked to fight the moisture pooling in his eyes. They all needed this moment.

* * *

Chris had finished his work-out and managed to eat a few bites of dinner before heading back to the medbay. The first thing he saw was Tommy lying awake on the biobed. Pike kept his surprise hidden behind his back as he sat down in the chair.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I can't sleep by myself. I miss my friends," Tommy whispered.

"Well, you can sleep with them tomorrow. But tonight, I brought you a new friend." Pike pulled the monkey from behind his back. "He doesn't have a name, but I think you can give him one."

The uninjured side of his face smiled. "He's mine?"

"Yep, you can keep him."

Tommy giggled. "I'm gonna call him JT, after my bestest friend."

Pike felt his heart contract at Tommy's words, but he continued to smile. "That's a great idea. Now, you have one of your friends with you and you can fall asleep." He stood up and tucked the blankets around the little boy. "Good night."

"Night!"

The little boy rubbed the soft fur from the monkey against his cheek and snuggled into the pillow. Chris walked away and saw Doctor Ravi sitting in his office. He took a glance at the ICU door, but headed toward the doctor's office. He knocked. The Betazoid motioned for him to come in. Pike sat down in the extra chair and sighed. He ran his hands over his face. It had been a long day with little sleep from the night before. He should have headed to bed, but he couldn't sleep.

"How is he?" Chris asked.

"Jim's stable, but nothing has really changed in the past few hours. His oxygen levels are still low and he's on the ventilator. I might try removing it tomorrow morning if his oxygen levels are up. I'm keeping him sedated until then so he doesn't try to pull it out himself." Doctor Ravi took a sip from the mug sitting on his desk. "You're stressed and exhausted, Lieutenant."

"Chris, remember? I'm off duty right now. I just wanted to check on Jim and I'll head to bed."

The doctor nodded. "It's going to be a long healing process for Jim. He'll need someone to support him and he trusts you, even if you both don't know why. I suggest you see him and then head to bed. I'm headed out myself once I finish this report."

Pike stood up and walked over to look through the clear glass. He glanced over at the little boy and saw he'd gone right to sleep. "Is Tommy going to recover?"

"He'll carry the scars with him for the rest of his life, but I've managed to clear up the infection. The vision in his left eye was affected. He won't recover all of his vision, but most of it. Unfortunately, it will degenerate with age."

"Did he tell you how it happened?"

Doctor Ravi stood and moved around the other side of the desk, standing next to Pike. He took another sip of the liquid and Pike could smell it was tea. He waited patiently.

"Yes. He was caught stealing food with Jim. The child was burned with a chemical as punishment, but he told me Jim attacked the man and stopped him. Governor Kodos injured Tommy. Both he and Jim have seen his face, along with Kevin I suspect."

Pike turned and grabbed the back of the chair, focusing on breathing evenly. He released the chair and paced around the room. "I'll have to inform Captain O'Mara."

The doctor put a hand on his shoulder. "Say good-night to Jim and get some rest. You're gonna need it. It's only going to get harder from here. I suspect all of these children have some painful stories to tell us."

Chris nodded. He said good-night to the doctor and headed into the ICU room. Some of the color had returned to Jim's face, but he still looked awful. Pike sat down in the empty chair and listened to the sound of the machine helping Jim breath. He put a hand over his mouth and leaned forward. There were no words. He couldn't imagine Jim's pain, but he'd have to find out at some point in the near future and he wasn't looking forward to it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Pike jolted up in his bed and grabbed the front of his shirt, desperately trying to control his breathing. His shirt was soaked through and his sheets were damp. He ordered the computer to turn the lights on twenty percent. The false sounds of the children's screams rang in his ears. Pike glanced at the clock. He'd only been asleep for four hours.

Chris stood up and headed to take a shower. There was no sense in trying to go back to sleep after that. He took his time, rubbing his shoulders to ease the tension under the warm water. He finished and changed into clean sweatpants. Pike changed the sheets and lay down to read his book. The words blurred together on the page as a headache formed behind his eyes. The lack of sleep and his stress level was catching up to him. His mind wouldn't calm down. Pike grabbed his pillow and headed out of his quarters.

The nighttime staff in the medbay didn't say anything, but a few of the nurses gave him a strange look as Pike headed into the ICU room. Jim looked the same. He was at least resting in peace under the sedative, not suffering from nightmares. An extra line had been added, which Pike recognized as a feeding tube. The kid has to get nutrients somehow. Chris sat down in the chair and put up his feet, tucking the pillow behind his head and against the wall. He opened his paperback book and started to read, this time finding it a little easier to focus.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here."

The nurse's voice jarred his attention.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep. I wanted to keep an eye on him." Pike set down his book and put his feet on the floor. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"No, it's okay, Lieutenant. Doctor Ravi asked for some regeneration on his arm muscles while he recovered. It will help the healing process."

"I won't get in your way."

Pike watched as the young woman ran the dermal generator over the kid's emaciated arms. Red bumps coated the skin; the nurse explained it was a reaction from the antibiotics. She finished with his arms and made a note on her PADD about Jim's stats. The woman smiled up at him.

"Would you like to rub some lotion into his arms? He'll respond well to touch and it will help heal the rash." She paused when Pike hesitated. "Only if you are comfortable, I won't force you."

"No, that's fine. I can do it."

The nurse handed Chris the small bottle of lotion and left the ICU. Pike scooted closer to the biobed. He squeezed some of the white lotion into his hand and began to massage it into Jim's skin. The kid moved a little bit, but after a moment seemed to relax. Pike glanced up at the medical monitor and saw his pain indicator had gone down slightly. He finished rubbing lotion into Jim's arms and set it down. He picked up his book and rested his feet against the bed, adjusting his pillow. His eyes grew heavy as he listened to Jim breathing. It was comforting.

**0o0o0o0o0**

Pike groaned as he woke up. His neck was killing him and every part of his body felt stiff. He sat up and immediately fell to the floor. He opened his eyes and recognized the medbay. Pike stood up and stretched his muscles. The door to the private room opened a moment later, admitting Doctor Ravi. He smiled at the lieutenant.

"How did you sleep?" the doctor asked.

"Better than I did in my quarters."

Dr. Ravi studied him for a moment. "I can tell you're still exhausted and stressed. You can't hide your emotions from me. I detect quite a lot of concern for our patient." He checked Jim's lines. "Can I inquire why?"

Pike ran his hands over his face. "I wrote my dissertation on the U.S.S. Kelvin and George Kirk's last actions. I even met his wife, Winona. She didn't say much about the incident, but spoke of the character of her husband. As I was getting up to leave, Jim ran into the room. He was crying about a bug stinging him outside and tried to crawl into her lap. Winona didn't let him. She stared at him as she patted his back and told him it would be fine." He paused and watched as Jim's chest rose and fell. "Winona couldn't even look at her son because he looks exactly like George. But Jim calmed down and walked away."

"Poor woman, I can't imagine her struggles. My wife and I have been married for twenty years."

"Do you have any children?" He was surprised since the doctor didn't have any family onboard.

The doctor nodded. "We have two daughters and one son. I can't imagine seeing my son in this condition." He continued examining his patient, taking a look at the marks on the boy's legs. "Jim is very weak and he's vulnerable. It's not a condition he's comfortable with."

"I can honestly say no one really likes being vulnerable. It makes us open to pain and hurt."

"But it also opens us up to affection and friendships. Young Jim definitely desperately needs both, even if he doesn't want them."

Chris nodded and stood up as he checked the time. He had to hurry to be ready for his shift. "I know he does. But I better go get ready for my shift. Captain doesn't like it when I'm late. I'll be back later." Pike took one last look at Jim and disappeared from the room. He had to find a way to clear his thoughts, but Jim wasn't leaving him alone.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"O'Mara to Lieutenant Pike, please report to my ready room."

Pike barely had time to change and grab breakfast from the mess hall before his meeting. He didn't quite make it on time. Chris rode the lift to the bridge and headed into the Captain's office from there. Captain O'Mara sat at his desk, drinking his morning tea.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

The captain smiled and motioned for him to take a seat. "Not a problem, Lieutenant. Doctor Ravi informed me you were checking up on our patient this morning. Nurse Laura reported the other children slept well, though the youngest insisted on sleeping in her bed. They seem settled in and are eating breakfast. Engineer McLaughlin volunteered to give them a brief tour of the ship later in the morning."

"That's good. Doctor Ravi said the injured boy should be able to join the others later today. He needs another treatment first. He also believes Kodos himself injured the boy. At least three of them saw his face."

Captain O'Mara pulled up a report on his screen. "I'd like you to interview each of the children and find out their stories. I expect to spend another two days here before we proceed back to Earth."

"Understood, sir." Pike stood up and prepared to leave the room. A thought crossed his mind. "What will happen to Jim Kirk? His mother is on a deep space mission. He has no other family."

"Mr. Kirk will be transferred to Starfleet Medical for privacy reasons. Once he is healthy enough, he will be given to the state until his mom can be contacted."

"Yes sir."

Pike turned and left the room. Jim shouldn't be put into foster care after his ordeal to suffer and fall between the cracks. There was no guarantee Winona would come to take care of him. He had an uneasy feeling about the situation.

Chris headed onto the bridge and went to his station. He had to distract himself for a few minutes. Talking to the children about what happened to them was the worst task. Pike took a deep breath and headed to the cargo bay turned nursery. The kids were playing with the blocks and giggling as they moved around the room. As soon as they saw Pike enter, they all came running.

"Chris, we had cinnamon rolls with frosting for breakfast!" A girl grabbed his hand and jumped up and down.

"How's JT?" another kid asked.

"He's doing okay. The doctor needs to keep an eye on him for a while longer, but Tommy should be coming to stay with you later." Pike moved over to an empty bed and sat down. "Can I talk to you all?"

The kids nodded and spread out close to him. Pike smiled. Kevin took a seat next to him on the bed and pulled a sleepy Maya onto his lap as she clutched her purple elephant. Chris didn't know how to start, but he knew he had to ask the questions and get the kids started talking.

"I want to ask about your experience on the planet. None of you have to talk to me and you don't have to listen. It's okay if it is too soon."

Kevin shifted Maya on his lap, letting her snuggle into his shoulder. "Do we have to talk about it now?"

"No." Pike shook his head. "I would like to talk to you before you leave the ship, but we have a few days. So, we can take our time."

"I don't wanna talk about it!" one of the little boys said as tears filled his eyes. "I miss my mommy!"

The lieutenant felt his stomach clench and he tried to remain focused. "It's okay. We won't talk about it right now. I'm sorry I brought it up." Pike leaned forward. "How about I make it up to you and we play a game?"

"I like games!"

Pike moved over to the play area and started stacking the blocks. Within seconds, the children surrounded him and joined in. He ruffled the hair of the boy who asked him to read a story the day before and focused on making the kids happy.

They played for over an hour before Chris had to excuse himself to head back to the bridge to get some work done. He sat in his office, shifting through the files he'd discovered on Kodos' computer. There wasn't a lot of information that Starfleet didn't know. Pike frowned when he came upon a video file, buried deep within a file about colony progress reports. He opened it and felt sick to his stomach. Jim was tied tight to the pole as people filed past, picking up meager pieces of bread and deformed vegetables. No one looked in Jim's direction. The kid coughed and blood spotted on his lips. One of the colonists tried to look at Jim and received a hit to the face. Jim kept his eyes down. The video ended and Pike pushed back from his computer. Kodos used him as an example of his control.

"Dr. Ravi to Lieutenant Pike!"

Pike tried to recover as he pressed the button. "Yes, Doctor. Is Jim awake?"

"Yes, and he's threatening us with a pair of scissors. I believe you might be able to calm him down."

"On my way!"

Chris ran all the way to the medbay and rushed back to the ICU room. Jim really needed to stop with the scissors. He stepped inside and saw the poor kid. The breathing tube was thankfully gone, but Jim was still receiving oxygen through the nasal cannula. Pike was surprised to see Tommy crouched next to him.

"He's delirious. His body temperature is 104.8. We need to lower it as soon as possible." Doctor Ravi kept back from the boy and his captive. "He refuses to speak with me."

Pike nodded and stepped forward, holding up his hands. "I just want to talk to you."

"JT, you can trust him. Chris won't hurt us," Tommy begged. "Please."

Jim's hand was shaking. "No! I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

Pike knelt in front of him. He tried to keep the emotion from his voice as he spoke. "Jim, I'm not Kodos. I won't hurt you."

The scissors clattered to the floor and Pike barely managed to grab a bowl as he saw Jim's expression change. Tommy stood up and ran toward the doctor. Chris held the bowl under Jim's chin as he violently threw up and whispered softly to him to comfort him. Jim stopped for a moment, gasping as tears rolled down his cheeks. His stomach rebelled again. Pike waited until he finished before lowering the bowl and pushing it away from them. The nurse grabbed it and went to clean it up. Jim looked incredibly spent as he leaned up against Pike's arm and his eyes slid shut.

"I'm sorry," Jim mumbled. "I'm so sorry."

Pike wrapped his arms around the boy and held him tight against his chest. Jim continued to cry. The doctor ushered Tommy out of the room, along with the nurse to give them some privacy.

"You're gonna be okay," Pike whispered.

"How do you know?"

"I will make sure no one hurts you again."

Chris put his arms around Jim and lifted him back onto the biobed. He could see the boy's fever was steadily climbing. Pike moved to fetch the doctor, but froze when Jim grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me alone. Please, I can't be alone."

Pike squeezed his hand tight. "I'm right here, Jim. I'm not leaving you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay in posting! Thanks for all of your lovely review. I've been working on the finishing touches for my novel that is being published April 1st. But I am still committed to writing this and finishing it for y'all. I deviated a little bit more from canon for this chapter, but there's finally some more action for you! Enjoy and feel free to leave me a review!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

"5 ccs of epinephrine, inject it directly into his leg, Chris."

Pike quickly did as he was instructed as the alarms blared. He waited. A few seconds later, the alarms stopped and Jim took a shaky breath. Doctor Ravi reattached the leads and adjusted the boy's oxygen flow. Jim's eyes opened and he stared at Chris. He grabbed Jim's hand. The kid opened his mouth to say something, but succumbed to coughing instead. Jim rolled to his side and sat up. The doctor grabbed a bowl and pounded on the center of Jim's back. He expelled some of the gunk from his lungs.

"What happened?" Pike asked once Jim lay back.

"He had an allergic reaction to a compound in the broth he sipped." Doctor Ravi shook his head. "Is there any progress on his medical file? It would certainly help treat him."

Chris waited until Jim's eyes closed. "It's a slow process. Starfleet is cutting through the red tape to make sure the information is kept confidential. It should be coming in the next day or two."

"My head hurts…" Jim whispered.

"I know, kid. The doctor's gonna give you something to make it feel better."

"His oxygen levels are lower. It's causing his headache," Doctor Ravi stated. He grabbed the oxygen mask and placed it on Jim's face. "This should help. Let me know if it gets worse. I'll give you something for the pain."

The boy nodded and let out a sigh. He turned his head in Pike's direction. "Stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Pike squeezed his hand and sat back down in the chair beside the bed. He picked up his book off the bedside table as the doctor administered a hypo into Jim's neck.

Jim watched the man sitting next to him. Pike opened his book and started reading where he left off, but he could tell Jim wanted to say something. The boy coughed weakly. It was after eleven and he should be sleeping, but the kid's schedule was off. The doctor noticed Jim was resisting sleeping at night, but he was calmer with Pike in the room and asked him to come down for a while. Pike glanced up and saw Jim's eyes were heavy, but he blinked rapidly to keep them open. He set the book down and leaned closer to him.

"It's okay to go to sleep."

The boy shook his head. "I'm not tired."

"I can tell you're tired. Are you scared of having nightmares?"

Jim picked at the blanket and averted his gaze.

"I'm right here. I'll wake you up if it gets too bad."

"I don't want to sleep. I have to protect my kids."

"No one is going to hurt them, I promise you." Pike adjusted his chair. "_He_ can't hurt you anymore."

Moisture pooled in Jim's eyes, but didn't fall. "You don't know that."

Chris frowned. He couldn't stay awake forever though and he knew Jim was exhausted. He opened his book again and returned his attention to the pages. The old novel about a man journeying along a road with his son was deep and confusing at the same time. Pike found he couldn't focus. Jim coughed again. He looked up and smiled. Despite his protests, the kid had fallen asleep pretty quickly. He wondered if the doctor had given him a mild sedative with the pain reliever. Pike leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He might as well try to get a little sleep too.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Walker to Lieutenant Pike."

Pike jolted up, almost falling to the floor at the sound of his name. He took a deep breath and let it out before answering. "This is Pike. What can I do for you?"

"Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the planet, but Captain O'Mara is unavailable. Would you be able to come to the bridge?"

Chris ran his hands over his face. It was almost one in the morning and he wasn't surprised the captain was unavailable. They were leaving the planet tomorrow, well today, and he'd worked late the night before.

"Who is it?"

There was a long pause and Pike stood up. Something wasn't right. He glanced at Jim, seeing the kid was still asleep with the mask on his face.

"Sir, please just come to the Bridge."

Pike touched Jim's hand and promised the sleeping boy to be back as soon as he could. He rushed from the medbay, not caring he was dressed in civilian clothing instead of his uniform. They could excuse him because of the hour. Chris stepped into the lift. He ordered it to take him to the Bridge and he tried to refocus. As soon as he stepped out of the lift, his heart skipped a beat. An unfamiliar face was on the view screen. The man was older with wrinkles on his face and a fresh cut on his cheek. Everyone on the Bridge was silent.

"This is Lieutenant Christopher Pike." Chris walked over to stand in front of the command chair. "What can I help you with?"

"You have something that belongs to me." The rough voice caused goose-bumps to form on Pike's arms.

Ensign Walker, who sat at the science station, turned to look at him and frowned.

"To whom am I speaking?" Pike asked.

The man laughed. "You already know, Lieutenant. Now give him back to me. He wasn't yours for the taking."

Pike's fists clenched as he stood up straighter. He lowered his voice so only Ensign Walker could hear him. "Can you locate where his transmission is coming from?"

"No, sir."

Chris took a shaky breath and returned his attention to the vile man on the view screen. "Kodos, you are hereby under arrest for crimes against the colony of Tarsus IV, the mass genocide of the colonists, along with –"

"You can't arrest me!" Kodos interrupted. "I'm taking what belongs to me."

Kodos' face vanished from the screen as Pike ordered the shields to be raised. He rushed toward the science station to see if he could help locate the signal.

"Sir, there was an unauthorized transport from the medbay," Ensign Walker reported.

"Doctor Ravi to Lieutenant Pike! Our patient is gone."

Pike felt like throwing something. "Can you trace the transport?"

The young man worked quickly and his fingers deftly pressed the buttons. Chris ran his hand through his hair as he waited for an answer. The ensign nodded.

"I can't pinpoint the exact location, but he was transported into a kilometer radius around the governor's palace."

"Security Team one, meet me in the transporter room in two minutes." He turned to the ensign. "Inform Captain O'Mara of the situation and tell him I'll keep him posted. I'm not letting him get away with this."

Pike ran from the Bridge and all the way to the transporter room. Five security officers were waiting for him. He still hadn't bothered with his uniform, but he took the offered weapon. Kodos wasn't going to get away with taking Jim from him. He'd already hurt that kid too much. The group stepped onto the transporter pad.

"Energize."

The group materialized outside of the former governor's palace. Taro and Miller were two of the security officers and he was glad since they were vaguely familiar with the location. Taro pulled out his scanner.

"Anything?"

"I'm detecting two bio-signs 100 meters to the right. They are on the move."

Chris motioned for the team to follow him down the hallway. Broken glass crushed beneath his shoes. Only a little light came from the dim fixtures on the walls. It was like walking through a creepy Halloween haunted house. Pike felt his heart pounding hard in his chest. He rounded the first corner, keeping his weapon ready. _Nothing._ He quickened his pace as they went down the deserted corridor. A few of the doors were opened, but there was no sound inside the rooms.

"80 meters," Taro said.

Pike began to run. The team kept close as they rounded another corner. It was a dead end. There was absolutely nothing in front of them but an empty wall. Chris walked up to it, trying to feel for a level or something that would take him to another room.

"Where are they?" he demanded, turning to face Taro and the others.

"Still 80 meters from us."

Pike kicked the wall. At the same time, his hand grasped a small handhold and he felt the ground shift beneath him. He cried out to the security team, but it was a second too late as the wall twisted around, throwing him into another empty hallway and separating them. He regained his balance and pounded on the wall for a moment. An angry shout jarred his attention. Jim. He was close and Kodos had him. He wasn't going to let that happen again. Pike held his phase pistol and ran after the sound. The hallway floor was coated in dust and he almost slid into the wall.

Sweat dripped down Pike's face and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. There was no ventilation in the room and the floor was beginning to slope downward. There was another muffled sound ahead of him. Chris rounded another corner. A searing pain went through his arm and he registered the sound a moment too late. He leaned heavily against the wall. His left hand reached up and touched the wound, pulling back with dark blood on his hand. The room spun as the pain increased. A cry of pain escaped his lips. Pike fought to stay standing and his eyes fell upon Jim. Kodos had an arm wrapped around the boy's neck; there was obvious pressure. In his other hand, he held the outdated projectile weapon to the kid's head.

"Put down your weapon or the boy dies." Kodos huffed and he sounded winded.

There was no way Jim had willingly been running down the corridors in his weakened state. Blood trickled from the corner of Jim's mouth, but other than that he appeared to be okay.

"Let him go. You don't want to hurt him." Chris stood up straight and pointed his weapon at the executioner.

"_James Tiberius Kirk_. I discovered this little genius in my school system, but he was trouble. He kept bothering my teachers and pulling pranks on all of them. All of the other children loved him." Kodos ran the back of his hand down Jim's cheek as the kid flinched. "But I could see he was unhappy and lonely."

Pike tightened his grasp on his weapon as he listened.

"He refused private tutoring with me. I decided to kill him with the others, but he escaped and worked against me." The arm around Jim's neck tightened and he coughed, fighting to breathe. "The bastard stole food, but I wouldn't let him get away. He belongs to me."

Pike swallowed. "He doesn't belong to anyone. He's just a kid. If you let him go, I will make sure they don't kill you immediately when I turn you over to them."

"Liar!" Kodos laughed and it filled the small corridor. "If I die, he dies. There's no way around it, Lieutenant."

He watched as Jim wavered on his feet. He was struggling and trying to stay upright. The front of his medical top was damp with sweat. Jim took a short breath and swallowed, lifting his head to breath better. Kodos adjusted his grip on him. The kid lifted his arms and dug his fingernails into Kodos' exposed hand. The former governor cursed, but didn't release the boy.

Pike held his weapon to the side in surrender and hissed when he moved his injured arm. "Take me instead. I'll be a better hostage. The kid's already sick and he'll die without medical attention."

"Chris," Jim whispered.

The butt of the weapon hit the kid next to the eye and Kodos swore in an unfamiliar language. "Shut up!"

"Stop! Don't hurt him. I'm putting my weapon on the floor and I'll back up." Pike said, slowly getting down on one knee. "Just let Jim go."

He locked eyes with the boy, seeing the fear and pain poorly concealed. Pike nodded just a little bit. Chris continued to get closer to the floor. His eyes never left Jim's. In a flash, Pike rolled forward and aimed the weapon at Kodos' head. A shot rang out as he fired his weapon. Chris fell backwards as the projectile entered his side and he gasped. The pain immediately clouded his vision. His hands went to the wound, putting pressure on it. Chris felt his stomach roll and he thought he might throw up from the amount of pain he was in. Two hands joined his.

"Jim…"

His eyes barely focused on the boy's face. There was blood staining his skin.

"Kodos?" Pike tried to lift his head, but fell back.

"He's dead."

The edges of his vision began to turn black. Pike reached into his pants pocket for his communicator and remembered he didn't have one. Jim would have to go get help. The air in the room felt thin and it was getting hard to inhale. He vaguely heard Jim say his name as everything went dark.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Pike groaned as he came around. His eyes snapped opened as he remembered what had happened with Kodos and Jim. The dim lights didn't seem right. Chris blinked as a blurry face came into his view. Tear tracks colored Jim's cheeks where there wasn't dirt or splattered blood from Kodos.

"Chris, are you okay?" Jim's voice was tight and panicked.

Pike didn't answer as the room spun. He could see the slumped body across the room. They were still on the planet's surface and he was still bleeding. Jim's hands were covered in the dark liquid. The kid returned to putting pressure on the wound when Chris didn't answer.

"Ship…" Pike coughed, unable to say anything more.

"I don't know why they haven't come to help us. Bastard probably shielded this area."

Chris nodded. "We'll have… to move."

"You can't!"

"Jim, we don't – don't have a choice."

Pike tried to sit up, but the pain caused him to roll to the side and throw up. Jim kept a trembling hand on his arm. The kid was too weak to help much. Jim put an arm around Chris and together they stood up. Pike pressed one hand to the wound. A wheezing sound passed Jim's parted lips. Blood dripped onto the floor from Pike's wounded arm and it rolled down his pants and pooled beneath his feet. Jim took a step forward. He pulled Pike with him as they walked back down the long hallway. With each step, Pike could feel the blood seeping thought his fingers and he bit back a groan. Jim stopped moving.

"You shouldn't have come after me."

Pike felt his heart stop as he wavered slightly. "No. I told you I won't let anyone hurt you and I couldn't let him hurt you again." He took a shaky breath. "I wasn't leaving you, Jim."

The kid shook his head. "I'm not your responsibility."

"Yes, you are Jim. I saved your life and I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you again… you've felt too much pain for a kid." Chris coughed and felt moisture in the corner of his mouth. "You deserve to be protected."

Loud thumping came from down the hallway and around the corner. Pike pressed his hand harder against the wound to increase the pain and his awareness. Jim pulled him forward. He could hear soft gasps from the kid. They rounded the corner as the hidden wall burst open. Taro and Miller were first through the opening. Taro reached him first and took Pike's weight from Jim's shoulder. The boy started to fall, but Miller steadied him and ended up lifting the kid in his arms.

"Kodos… he's dead… in the back room."

"We'll take care of it. Let's get you to the doc."

Pike nodded as the blackness seeped in again. He stayed conscious as the transporter deposited them on the ship. Taro guided him to lie down on the stretcher. The voices blurred together. He knew his eyes were still open, but he couldn't see anything. A few spots cleared and Pike tried to focus on the faces.

"Where's Jim?" He lifted his head.

"Lay still, Lieutenant," a medic said.

Pike tried to sit up and look around as they got closer to the medbay. The doors opened and the medics transferred him to a biobed as he tried to keep from crying out in pain. He couldn't see Jim anywhere. Doctor Ravi appeared next to him and he dropped his head back. His stomach rolled and he couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Chris, I'm gonna give you something for the pain." Doctor Ravi pressed a hypospray to his neck.

"Where's… Jim?"

"He's safe. I need you to relax and let the analgesic take effect."

Pike gasped and his eyes searched the room. "I need – to make sure Jim is okay."

He tried to stay conscious, but whatever the doctor had given him helped eased the pain and made him sleepy. Chris finally saw Jim. The kid was standing across the room and one of the nurses was trying to approach him. He kept putting up his hands and moving to the side. Pike lifted his hand. He wanted to comfort him and calm him down, but the room spun around him. He dropped his head to the bed and let the darkness take him.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Where's Jim?" Chris blinked heavily, trying to clear the last of the sedation from his system. The painkillers were working nicely, but his head felt foggy.

"He's fine," Doctor Ravi answered, putting a hand on Pike's shoulder. "You're lucky to be okay."

"How long have I been here?"

The doctor adjusted the drip on the IV and administered another hypo. "You've been in the medbay for approximately ten hours. I kept you sedated after the surgery to remove the projective. The wound barely missed your internal organs. Your arm will be sore for a while, but I expect you to fully recover."

Pike nodded. "When can I leave?"

"I'm hoping to discharge you tomorrow, but you'll be off duty for at least three days. We are on our way back to Earth."

"Thanks, Doc."

The Betazoid nodded. "Captain O'Mara will be in later. He'll need your report on what happened on the surface with the former criminal."

Pike sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "Is _he_ really dead?"

"I performed the autopsy myself. Kodos won't be hurting anyone again."

"Good."

Pike leaned back and gave himself a mental check-up as the doctor examined his wound. Despite feeling a bit listless and his head being muddled, he felt alright. The doctor pulled back the bandage and Pike glanced away, not wanting to look at mark on his side. Dr. Ravi gently touched it and Chris hissed in pain. Dr. Ravi apologized. He used the dermal regenerator before covering it up again. Pike glanced around at the empty medbay. His eyes went to the door to Jim's room.

"How is he?" Chris shifted slightly in the bed.

"He had some cuts on his arm and bruises, but he's resting right now."

"Mentally, how is he?"

The Betazoid's shoulders dropped slightly. "Jim is stressed. Along with the physical stress to his body, his mind is not at ease. When I'm near him I sense pain, guilt, shame, anger, grief and anxiety to name a few. He's begun to recover physically since I finally received his medical file and I'm now able to treat him properly, but emotionally he's barely started."

Pike remembered the look of fear on Jim's face. "Poor Jim. Do you think he'll ever recover emotionally?"

"Jim will struggle with his past, but I think he's strong enough to endure. He has you. You should get some rest though." Doctor Ravi put a hand on his shoulder and then released it. He walked to the end of the bed and turned around. "You saved his life, Chris. He will never forget that."

The doctor exited the section and pulled the curtain closed behind him. Pike closed his eyes as he tried to digest the Betazoid's words. He was only alone for a minute before he heard two little voices whispering and trying to stay quiet. Chris opened his eyes as the curtain moved slightly.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Lieutenant. Are you up for visitors?" The head nurse, Amanda, stood at the edge of the curtained area and gave Pike a warm smile. "I'll make sure they don't stay long so you can rest."

"Of course." He tried to push himself up a little bit, but quickly stopped when it pained him.

Two small little faces peaked around the edge of the curtain. Kevin and Tommy cautiously came into the space. Their eyes focused on the lines going under Pike's medical gown and protruding from his hand. Chris smiled at the kids.

"Hi guys, how are you?"

"Mandy says you got hurt," Tommy whispered, holding tight to his stuffed animal.

Chris chuckled at the nurse's nickname and ruffled Tommy's hair. "I'm okay, kiddo. The doctor is taking good care of me. I should be able to come and play with you tomorrow."

Tommy climbed up on the bed and swung his legs back and forth. "Can you bring JT to play with us? We tried to see him earlier, but the doctor said he didn't want any visitors right now."

"Yeah, why doesn't JT want to see any of us?" Kevin asked.

"He's had a really bad day. Just give him a little time and I'm sure he'll want to see you."

The littler boy picked at the ears on his stuffed animal. "I heard the doctor talking to Miss Mandy. He said JT isn't talking. He can't talk." Tommy sniffled. "What happened to him?"

Pike's lips tightened, but he put on a smile for their sake. "He's just struggling. He'll be okay."

"Alright boys, we need to let Chris get some rest so he can play with you tomorrow. Also, the captain has promised to come play some games with you in a little bit," Amanda interrupted.

The two boys shouted in excitement and ran from the area, yelling 'bye' behind them. Pike wanted to demand the doctor explain why Jim wasn't talking and he hadn't told him, but his energy levels were too low. His eyes closed and he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Pike was getting a promotion when they returned to Earth, but he couldn't be excited. His thoughts were focused on Jim. Captain O'Mara had debriefed him and informed him that Starfleet Command wanted to promote him to Commander for his work on the surface. Chris dressed in his civilian clothing since it was more comfortable. Pike walked toward the door to Jim's room and stepped inside. The breathing mask that had been present on his face for so long was gone, along with one of the IV lines. A little bit of color had come back to Jim's cheeks and he didn't appear as ill. A piece of uneaten toast sat on the bedside table with a cup of orange juice.

"Hey," Pike said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

Jim's eyes slowly opened and he turned his head. A harsh cough passed his lips, but he didn't say anything.

"Doc says you actually ate a little something earlier."

The kid blinked.

"That's progress."

Jim began picking at the blanket with his fingers and coughed into his hand again. He moved a little in the bed.

Pike sighed. "I talked to Tommy and Kevin yesterday. They want to come visit you, but they said you didn't want any visitors. I think it would be good if you saw them."

The silence in the room was driving Chris nuts as Jim continued to be quiet. He kept his eyes down. Pike leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, wincing slightly when the movement pulled at his side.

"We're headed back to Earth." Pike watched as Jim glanced at the wall to the left. "I was thinking of taking some leave when we get back." He cleared his throat, hoping to get Jim's full attention. "I plan on asking if you can stay with me until we can find some family for you to stay with. Doctor Ravi says you'll have to spend a few days at Starfleet Medical, but after that… you'll need someone to take care of you."

Jim still didn't answer.

"I want to help you, but you have to give me something. Jim, I don't know what _he_ said to you before I get there, but there's nothing he can do to hurt you anymore. He's gone and I promise to make sure you are safe."

_Nothing._ Pike reached out and picked up his book from the table and leaned back in the chair. He wasn't leaving Jim alone again.

After a while, Chris realized Jim had fallen asleep. He brushed a stray hair from the kid's forehead and felt the low-grade fever beneath his fingers. The medical monitor put it at 101 degrees. Jim couldn't catch a break. He sat back down, continuing where he left off. Thirty minutes passed. The computer beeped softly. Pike put down his book and checked the monitor, seeing Jim's heart rate had increased. No one came running, so he assumed it was alright. He picked up the book again, but he couldn't bring himself to read it. Jim flung his arm across his chest, startling Pike. A low groan came from the kid's parted lips. Then panic. Jim thrashed around on the bed, shouting and trying to escape. The IV was torn from his hand, getting blood on Pike's arm as he tried to hold him down.

"Jim! Wake up, Jim."

Jim's eyes flew open and Pike saw the raw horror in his eyes. The kid pushed himself up and a choking sound came from his throat. Pike grabbed the bowl on the table in time for Jim to throw up the little food he'd eaten. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he reached for Pike. Chris didn't hesitate as he embraced the boy, whispering to him that it was gonna be okay. It didn't matter that Kodos was dead and he couldn't physically assault the kid anymore, just the memory of Kodos was torture and Jim was already hurting more than Pike knew how to fix.


End file.
